Tyquan Thornton has a special ability.
That was seen when he ran a blistering 4.28 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine. The Patriots were so impressed with this 6-foot-2 wide receiver that they traded up in the second round to select him. The Patriots drafted Thornton at 50th overall ahead of receivers such as Georgie Pickens (866 yards) and Alec Pierce (593 yards).
After a slow rookie season, where he caught 22 passes for 247 yards, Thornton is off to a slow start this offseason. The 22-year-old didn’t participate in minicamp due to a soft tissue injury. He’s been limited this past week due to another unknown injury.
When Thornton has been on the field, he’s caught just two passes (from Bailey Zappe) and through nine days of camp, hasn’t caught a pass from Mac Jones in competitive drills. The performance (or lack thereof) would seem to be concerning for this second-year receiver.
However, Patriots receiver coaches Troy Brown and Ross Douglas say they don’t share the same worry about Thornton.
FanDuel Sportsbook Massachusetts $1,000 NO-SWEAT BET
21+ and present in participating states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
- Related: Mobile sports betting is live in Massachusetts on FanDuel. Get started with a $1,000 no-sweat bet
“That’s about it (getting back on the field) – I think he needs to keep improving and getting better at his craft. He’s still a young player. He has a lot to learn,” Brown said. “I don’t have any problems with Tyquan. He’s a rare breed in this league – a guy that has the kind of speed that he has. My job is to help get the best out of him and use that to his advantage.”
The ‘rare breed’ comment from Brown was eye-opening. A former standout receiver himself, Brown knows what it takes to be a productive NFL receiver. For Thornton, the first key is to get healthy and back on the field. Last season, he spent the first six weeks on the injured reserve after suffering a broken collarbone in the preseason.
Patriots coaches still rewarded Thornton with ample playing time. He started nine of 13 games played as a rookie. From the outside, the corner was that despite him playing a bevy of offensive snaps, Thornton wasn’t very productive. Last year, he had one game where he finished with more than 40 receiving yards (60 yards in Week 17).
With his size and blazing speed, Thornton should theoretically be a problem for opposing secondaries. Up to now, even in training camp, that hasn’t been the case. Over the first six days of camp, Thornton was shut out with the projected starting offense. His best day of camp came on Day 4 when he caught two touchdown passes from Zappe against the backup defense with Marcus Jones and Isaiah Bolden in coverage.
His other coach, Douglas, echoed Brown’s sentiments, saying he wasn’t worried about Thornton.
“Tyquan, he just has to continue to work hard. He has a lot of ability. He has quickness. He has speed. He has a lot of talent,” Douglas said. “Now, it’s really just refining his tools and his skillset and putting it all together. He’s progressing. He’s working hard. We’ll get there.”
